The empirical formula of the compound having 50% Sulphur and 50% oxygen by mass is

Explanation

Analyze the mass percentages: The compound has 50% sulfur (S) and 50% oxygen (O).Convert percentages to moles:Moles of S = (50 g S / 32.07 g/mol S) = 1.559 mol SMoles of O = (50 g O / 16.00 g/mol O) = 3.125 mol OFind the smallest whole-number ratio of moles:Divide both mole values by the smallest mole value (1.559 mol S):S: 1.559 mol S / 1.559 mol S = 1.00 (round to nearest whole number)O: 3.125 mol O / 1.559 mol S ≈ 2.00 (round to nearest whole number)Write the empirical formula: The empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in the compound. Therefore, the empirical formula is SO₂